After breakfast ended, Augusto rose from the table with the ease of someone who already had the day planned.
"Let's go," he said, picking up his hat from a small side table near the door. "It's time to begin."
Luis stood as well. Miguel was already waiting for them.
The three left the main house and were immediately greeted by the clear light of the morning. The sun was still low in the sky, spreading a golden glow across the fields of the estate.
Luis paused for a moment on the veranda steps.
Even though he had grown up there, looking at those lands now felt different.
The estate was large.
Very large.
Cultivated fields stretched into the distance, interspersed with pasture areas, small work buildings, fences, and dirt roads where wagons and horses passed daily.
Miguel took the lead.
Unlike Augusto, who observed everything calmly, Miguel walked with the confidence of someone who knew every meter of the property.
"We'll start with the main warehouse," he said.
Luis nodded and followed the two of them.
.....
.....
The first building they visited was a large reinforced wooden warehouse.
Inside were stacked sacks, organized tools, and a few wagons being loaded by workers.
Miguel called over a sturdy man who was organizing some notes.
"Gustavo!"
The man turned quickly.
"Mr. Miguel."
He also greeted Augusto respectfully.
"Mr. Augusto."
Augusto responded with a cordial nod.
Miguel placed a hand on Luis's shoulder.
"This is Gustavo. He is responsible for the warehouse."
Gustavo nodded.
"I take care of incoming and outgoing goods. Coffee, tools, supplies… everything passes through here."
Luis observed the neatly stacked piles of sacks.
"That looks like a lot of work."
Gustavo smiled.
"And it is."
After a few minutes of conversation, they moved on.
.....
.....
Their next destination was the fields and the stables.
The activity there was even greater.
Workers were repairing fences, some were tending to horses, and others were unloading tools.
A tall man with sun-weathered skin approached when he saw them.
Miguel introduced him.
"This is Lucas."
"Our foreman."
Lucas removed his hat in greeting.
"Mr. Augusto."
"Mr. Miguel."
He glanced briefly at Luis.
"Young sir."
Augusto made a small gesture.
"Lucas supervises the plantations and the stables."
Lucas added:
"I also organize the workers."
Luis watched the horses being brushed and fed.
It was a busy place.
And at that moment…
A familiar horse was there.
With a saddle.
Recently arrived.
Luis narrowed his eyes.
Then he heard a voice from behind one of the stables.
"Hey, easy there…"
Miguel recognized it immediately.
His expression changed.
"Matheus."
A few seconds later, the young man appeared.
Matheus was the same age as Luis, but his expression always seemed to carry some sort of mischief.
He froze when he saw his father.
"Ah…"
Miguel crossed his arms.
"So this is where you are."
Matheus scratched the back of his neck.
"Well… I…"
Miguel stepped forward.
"You left before dawn."
Another step.
"You took a horse."
Another.
"And disappeared."
Matheus tried to smile.
"I was… checking the boundaries of the property."
Miguel raised an eyebrow.
"Really?"
Matheus nodded quickly.
"Yes, yes. Farm security, you know…"
Miguel remained silent for a few seconds.
Then he said calmly:
"Matheus."
"Tell the truth."
The young man sighed.
It was impossible to escape that look.
Finally he raised his hands in surrender.
"Alright!"
He glanced quickly at Luis before confessing:
"I went to the neighboring farm."
Miguel frowned.
"And why?"
Matheus answered casually:
"I had promised one of the girls there that we would go riding this morning."
For a second there was silence.
Then Luis let out a small laugh.
Augusto also couldn't help but smile.
Miguel, on the other hand, seemed to be struggling to contain his irritation.
"You left the property at dawn…" he said slowly, "to go riding with a girl?"
Matheus shrugged.
"I had promised."
Augusto then gave Miguel a light pat on the shoulder.
"Well now, Miguel."
Miguel looked at him.
Augusto smiled slightly.
"Don't be so hard."
He looked at Matheus with some amusement.
"Young men do that sort of thing."
Matheus smiled discreetly.
Miguel sighed.
"That boy is going to give me many gray hairs…"
Luis laughed again.
And as he watched the small family scene, he realized something interesting.
The estate was not just land and production.
It was a small community.
Full of stories.
And he was only beginning to understand how everything worked.